Plus, Tasmania’s National Science Week launch—10am Friday 10 August

Tasmania’s Minister for Science and Technology, the Hon. Michael Ferguson, will join the Launceston STEMinists to launch National Science Week in Tasmania. Minister Ferguson will don a lab coat to assist the STEMinists in a science experiment.

About National Science Week

National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year saw 1.2 million people participate in more than 2,100 events and activities.

In 2018, National Science Week celebrates its 21st birthday, with events held throughout Australia—from Corals in the Outback in western Queensland to TAStroFest astronomy in the Apple Isle, and from STEM meets dance in Perth to The Innovation Games at Sydney Olympic Park—with everything from science festivals, music and comedy shows, expert panel discussions, interactive hands-on displays, open days and online activities.

National Science Week in Tasmania: event highlights

Young Tassie Scientists—everywhere

A geologist who blasts rocks with lasers, a brainy researcher studying our super senses, Tasmania’s own BugGirl, and an Antarctic expeditioner with a passion for Pokémon.

These are just a few of our Young Tassie Scientists—early career researchers who become the state’s ambassadors for National Science Week.

New recruits go through science communication bootcamp, then go out to share their science stories through hands-on presentations at one hundred schools and events around Tasmania, from Swansea to Strahan, and Franklin to Flinders Island.

BeakerStreet@TMAG—Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart

A forensic science murder mystery, fun and informative talks, live music, food, an underground Antarctic Bar, and 100+ roving scientists to chat with over a drink. It’s all part of BeakerStreet@TMAG, a pop-up science bar and two-night science festival for adults at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

People can pop in for presentations by world-leading researchers, intimate talks and hands-on scientific workshops, see taxidermied animals and scientific curios, and the science photography competition and exhibition.

Friday night highlights:

Radio National’s Ockham’s Razor Live, with short talks including:

Cave diving for exploration and science—Andreas Klocker

The neuroscience of stress—Lila Landowski

The wines, they are a-changin’—Fiona Kerslake

Understanding change in marine ecosystems—Jess Melbourne-Thomas

Danielle Clode—why wasps have sex with orchids

Russell Bonduriansky—heredity beyond genes

Saturday night highlights:

‘Improbable’—MONA’s David Walsh in conversation with ABC’s Natasha Mitchell

Science Open Season—Launceston

Spiders, science shows, Nights at the Museum, a live feed from NASA, and Mars One astronaut candidate Josh Richards are among the highlights of the seven days of Science Open Season at Launceston’s Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery.

The program includes a Saturday expo-style Big Day of Science, showcasing everyday science taking place in the region; Sunday Science with a focus on spiders and activities for nature lovers; a Night at the Museum for adults, and another for young families; a schools’ program; public lectures; ‘PODS’ (Professionals Out Demonstrating Science); and the Crazy Scientist science shows.

Jake Clark, a PhD candidate and science communicator at the University of Southern Queensland.

What have we learnt from the hundreds of planets discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope? Are we alone in the Universe? And what does the future hold for exploration of the Universe? Ask the people at the astro-nerve centre.

Slime moulds: nature’s miniature jewels—Westbury

Ask Sarah Lloyd why plasmodia or ‘slime moulds’ love wet weather. Hear how these conditions make plasmodia become active and eventually form exquisite fruiting bodies.

Sarah will answer questions and bring a range of different species for close inspection. Participants can also view the exhibition ‘Slime Moulds – Nature’s miniature jewels’.

Acellular or plasmodial slime moulds have been placed in the kingdoms plant, fungi, animal and protista, based on their very different life stages comprising single-celled amebae, moving feeding plasmodia and spore-bearing ‘fruits’. They are now considered to be amoebozoans.

Dive online to help the Great Barrier Reef this Science Week—and you could win a GoPro camera!

The ABC’s citizen science project Virtual Reef Diver is celebrating the International Year of the Reef, inviting people to dive through their computer screens into the Great Barrier Reef.

They will review and classify underwater images of the Reef to help scientists identify areas of sand, coral and algae to help build a better picture of coral cover. This work will allow scientists and reef managers to make critical decisions to ensure that the Reef has a future.

The project has been developed by the Queensland University of Technology, in collaboration with a host of scientific and community organisations.